Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: wombat62 on February 12, 2016, 05:48:50 AM
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Hi Ladies
I have the dreaded next week and have stocked up with the scary powder, jelly, hydrolite and all the rest of it (including vaseline!).
I'm not too worried about the procedure itself as hopefully I'll be nice and sleepy (apart from what they may find) but the prep and how bad the emptying part will be. I asked the centre about the low fibre diet before and they said not to bother but when I was going back through some threads on here someone said it did help to lessen the effects shall we say. I'm also a bit concerned about getting weak and dehydrated especially as I may end up going without water for 12 hours if I end up sleeping in (to pass the time without food or water) or do I get up early and have a drink? It's annoying it's not until midday but it was the day that was most convenient.
Any hints and tips on the prep would be appreciated. Thanks :)
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I found it all ok. I was expecting it to be like having a bad tummy bug but it wasn't. I wasn't having to run like lightning for the loo.
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Be near the loo and wear easy to remove bottom halves! And some good reading matter. The stuff didn't make me feel ill. It just made me want to keep going.
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The prep is worse than the procedure! Like Ju Ju says, wear something easy for the loo. It just makes you feel a bit empty and washed out but good for the system! Get some natural yoghurt that has live cultures in it afterwards as it strips the bowel of all the good flora.
Good luck Wombat.
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Yup - prep is definitely worse than the procedure. I did the live yoghurt thing afterwards as Justjules advised.
I hope it all goes well for you wombat... I did yoga relaxation breathing exercises throughout the procedure, it really helped.
The surgeon gave me some yoga exercise advice for afterwards - to help get rid of the air in the gut afterwards.
When you feel you need to trump - be on the loo first, just in case :o
Peppermint tea or ginger tea was advised as well to help get rid of the air.
Good luck
Galadriel x
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Make sure you have someone with you when you are doing the pre-op prep as it can make you lightheaded and unsteady.
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First time I had the prep I was already in hospital. Was very unpleasant experience. Second time I asked for different prep medicine, wasn't nice to swallow but results weren't as violent.
Think it depends on how your body reacts. But definitely be near a look.
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It also depends alot on the prep they are using! When I had mine about 7 years ago they were still using the appropriately names prep called Fleet ( of foot I presume!) because it was so powerful nothing and I mean nothing was left to obscure the camera but it caused alot of problems in people with slightly iffy kidney function etc and I am glad to hear that it is hardly used now. Picolax and moviprep are the most common. Moviprep is usually reserved for the elderly and frail as it is the least horrible but not good for the Drs and camera seeing. Picolax is better than Fleet etc.
With Fleet I literally lived in the bathroom on a chair next to the toilet for about 4 hrs after each dose and even then it was a close call, it also made you feel quite ill with heacache but this was because it dehydrated you so much you could not drink enough to replace.
The other ones are much better but moist toilet wipes and vaselline are a must. Drink at least as much if not more than they recommend to counteract the dehyration effect.
Good luck with it all and hopefully the results will show nothing nasty x
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Hello wombat62.
I've had two Colonoscopies since 2010 with a different prep each time. The taste of the stuff was awful but other than needing to be near the loo I felt okay throughout. I had sedation for the procedure itself and that was okay too! I was told they used liquid diazepam which was most pleasant.
Take care and I hope all goes well for you.
K.
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It was picolax that I had. Probably TMI but be prepared to pass things you know you didn't eat for weeks!! I was like, OMG, really?
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;D ;D ;D Fleet turned all contents to liquid, think of high pressure hosepipe ;D breathing fire.
Lovely topic!
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Countrybumpkin, OMG yes, awful stuff. I got into trouble from a nurse for being a wimp with that stuff. Said OAPs coped better. Well excuse me for keeling over! I won't go into details, but it was extremely violent!
Picolax wasn't nice but much less violent.
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Thank you ladies!
I've got Picolax to take and I'm going to start to eat less high fibre stuff from now on. I've got to take 3 lots, 2 hours apart from 4pm. The nurse said it should be over by bedtime, hope so!
I will have OH at home in case I get wobbly, I do feel a bit weird when I get dehydrated so I'm a bit worried about that but I've got plenty to drink in. I have warned him!
Do you get bad cramps or just the need to run? (Fast!)
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Hello again wombat62.
I didn't get cramps at all just some gurgling and the need to go to the loo. The first time I used the prep I was having an Ulcerative Colitis flare so things were a bit explosive but the second time I was well and everything was calmer though just as effective lol. A friend of mine was using Picolax yesterday to treat chronic constipation, she tells me it was working well and she felt fine, just needed to be near the loo. A nurse told her that we have 22 feet of bowel so it does take a lot of clearing out!
I hope this helps you and take care.
K.
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Think of picolax as the pussycat to Fleets lion ;D
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Glad they've moved on from Fleet...sounds like Fleet did a lot of moving :)
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I have had procedure done twice, both with picolax. Usually starts to work after second dose, and usually stopped running by bedtime......no dizziness or anything with me.....I am sure you will be fine :)
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Thanks Ellie, that's good to know.
Although I think I've been so worried I may not need the Picolax ;D
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Hi Ladies
Thanks again for all your tips and experiences!
Well, I survived everything and got the all clear apart from some small internal piles. It's a big relief to know that there isn't anything nasty lurking in there and that the bleeding was probably the piles or a touch of colitis following the gallstone attack.
The prep wasn't as bad as I thought, I ate lots of thick jelly which was quite filling plus loads of herbal tea, some stock etc. The hardest part was from getting up and not being able to have a cuppa the next day. The Picolax was fine, tasted okay but was a bit nervous waiting for it to work. The first time was the worst and then got less and less from there but did have to get up twice in the night.
I think maybe because I'm eating light because of the gallstones may have helped plus from the Sat night I ate less fibre as well. I had a bit of a nervous tummy before the prep so that may have also helped!
On the day they were very nice, very organised and got the meds and had the best sleep! I came around quite quickly, had a cuppa and biscuits and then waited a few mins for the results and then off home and felt fine although a bit tired because of the broken night. I did spend the rest of the day gurgling quite a bit but that wore off during the night.
They only gave me a brief report there just to say no biopsies were taken but to see my referring doc which I did this morning. The only comment was to continue to eat a high fibre diet.
I'm very happy considering my digestive system isn't the best and often wondered if years of that plus the IBS I had some years back would set something off. I just think it's sluggish and seems to need lots of liquid and fibre to make it work properly.
I would have reported back earlier but just wanted to get the full results first!
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Great news Wombat. :congrats:
I had mine on the 23rd Dec - not ideal on the busy run up to Christmas but that all-clear and no need for biopsies was the best pressy I got at Christmas.
Hehe Sparkle - yes I enjoyed that 'clean as a whistle' feeling afterwards but not the wind. I could have given a brass band a run for their money :o
Galadriel x
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Brilliant news wombat!!! Such a relief for you, in more ways than one!. ;)
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Great news. I was told that polyps take 10 years to go from benign to nasty so if you have no polyps on test then thats great for years. They are even considering doing sigmoidoscopy on everyone at 55 to see if they have any polyps because if you don't then your risk is low and if you do they can keep a closer eye on you but whether it ever becomes screening is another matter!
I have had 1 colonoscopy and 2 sigmoidoscopies and got awful wind and pain for a few hours after each one but was totally fine by the next day.
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Good news :)
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Thanks Ladies!
Sparkle I think mines always been sluggish, not an age thing, it's actually got better once I started taking care of it.
My gp thinks everyone should have one as a 50th birthday present and I guess for a day of starving and the procedure it is peace of mind. It seems the FOB test is useful but I do wonder how many people get a false negative result so a sigy or colony once you are in your 50's seems like a good idea and things can be caught early. I do wonder how Geordie Girl is getting on, I hope she is ok.
Next stop, gallbladder removal! I have a date in just under 2 months which I was able to choose around work etc.
Then I realised it's mammogram year, so another couple of weeks I can worry...
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Hello wombat62.
So pleased everything has worked out well.
My friend who took Picolax for chronic constipation tells me that the treatment worked and she is now 'going normally' lol. Her consultant told her to eat more fibre and take some Linseed oil daily and she says that is definitely helping. My trusty meno book mentions constipation at this time in our lives so maybe a sluggish bowel is to be expected and we all need to counter this by altering our diet.
I wish you well for your forthcoming op and scan. It sounds as if 2016 is your year for a refit lol.
Take care and keep us posted.
K.
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Yes, my doc is very good but maybe it's different here as you part-pay for everything. We have "free" doctors (it means they charge the rate Medicare sets so you don't have to part-pay) but anyone I know has yet to come across a good one!
It does give a good base point to work from especially as sometimes BC can be quite advanced before symptoms which is always scary and the surgeon said there was a lot of it around. At least they whip anything out found at the time or take a biopsy if something looks suspicious so I'd agree with my doc that everyone should have one at 50!
Everyone is saying I'm looking very well and I do feel much better now I've lost a lot of weight. I just have to make sure I don't put it all back on after the op but then it's difficult to know how the digestion will be. I guess I'm not using my gallbladder much but then I'm being very strict, the first burger or fish and chips will be the time to find out! It will be strange eating those foods again as at the moment I just look at them and know they will make me very ill so it's easy to resist!